More royal nudity: Britain's Kate upset about topless photos

From Max Foster and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN

Updated 10:12 PM ET, Fri September 14, 2012

Photos: William and Kate visit Far East61 photos

William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, are carried as they bid farewell in Tuvalu on Wednesday, September 19. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge -- on a tour marking the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II -- are visiting Singapore, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. See more of CNN's best photography.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Local participants watch as the duke and duchess conclude the portion of their trip in Tuvalu on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William plays a local game called Te Ano on Tuesday, September 18, in Tuvalu.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William opens a coconut with a machete as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, watches on Tuesday in Tulavu.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The duke and duchess visit the University of the South Pacific in Tuvalu on Tuesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, visits Nauti Primary School on Tuesday in Tuvalu.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The royal couple are carried from their plane to a welcoming ceremony in Tuvalu on Tuesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The duke and duchess dance with ladies at the Vaiku Falekaupule ceremony for an entertainment program on Tuesday in Tuvalu.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, prepares to dance at the Vaiku Falekaupule ceremony on Tuesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The couple enjoy a traditional dinner at Tausoa Lima Falekaupule on Tuesday in Tuvalu.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, waves goodbye to onlookers as she and Prince William board a plane to leave the Solomon Islands from Honiara on Tuesday, September 18.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, are carried from a boat to their plane Tuesday in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands as they continue their tour of the Far East.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William speak with traditional weavers during a visit to a village in the Solomon Islands on Monday, September 17.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, meet young well-wishers during a visit to the Coast Watcher and Solomon Scouts Memorial on Day Seven of their Diamond Jubilee Tour in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on Monday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William travel in a traditional canoe during a visit to Tuvanipupu Island in the Solomon Islands on Monday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are greeted by dancers as they visit Tuvanipupu Island in Honiara on Monday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The royal couple visits Tuvanipupu Island in Honiara on Monday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge learn more about poverty and village life in the Solomon Islands.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit Burns Creek, a troubled community on the outskirts of Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, inspects an honor guard as he arrives at Honiara International Airport in the Solomon Islands on Sunday, September 16.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Britain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, wave to Solomon Islanders as they leave the airport aboard a truck decorated as a canoe in Honiara on Sunday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Britain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, are greeted by Solomon Islanders on Sunday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William makes a speech at the Government House in Honiara on Sunday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, visit Assyakirin Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday, September 14, Day Four of the royal couple's tour of the Far East.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The royal couple visits Assyakirin Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The royal couple put their shoes on after visiting the KLCC Mosque in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – A crowd takes photos of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, as they walk in the KLCC gardens in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, visits Assyakirin Mosque on Friday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend an official dinner hosted by Malaysia's Head of State Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah of Kedah at the Istana Negara on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The duchess' evening gown, by Alexander McQueen, features the Malaysian flower, hibiscus, in gold detail.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine talks to Sultanah Tuanku Haminah binti Hamidun, the Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia, during an official dinner hosted by Malaysia's sultan.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Britain's Prince William speaks with Linges Warry Apparad, a 14-year-old with leukemia, at Hospis Malaysia Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

William and Kate visit Far East – Britain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, meet Richard Robless, council member of Hospis Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Schoolchildren wave Malaysia national flags as Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, arrive at the Hospis Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on September 13, 2012.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, visit Kranji War Cemetery Thursday in Singapore.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Britain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, lay a wreath to pay their respects to WWII dead at the Kranji War Cemetery in Singapore Thursday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, glances back at war graves as she leaves Kranji Commonwealth War Cemetery on the third day of her Diamond Jubilee Tour of the Far East with husband Prince William on Thursday, September 13 in Singapore.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine signs the visitors' book at Eden Hall on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The signatures of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (not pictured) mark their visit on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The royal couple visit Gardens by the Bay on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The couple look out over a balcony at Gardens by the Bay on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The duke and duchess pose for a picture with children as they visit The Rainbow Centre in Singapore.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William and Catherine pose with 4-year-old Maeve Low as they tour the Rolls-Royce Seletar Campus during the Diamond Jubilee tour at Seletar Aerospace Park on Wednesday, September 12, the second day of their Diamond Jubilee tour in Singapore.

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will n kate 10 – The duke and duchess applaud as they visit The Rainbow Centre.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Bystanders crane for photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their visit to Strathmore Green, a precinct in Queenstown, a residential district of Singapore on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine and Prince William watch demonstrations as they attend a cultural event in Queenstown on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – A young girl gives flowers to Catherine on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine and Prince William watch a performance by the Sunda Pajajaran group on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William speaks to a child in the crowd on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William, right, and wife Catherine are welcomed by a lion dance performance on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William and Catherine tour the Rolls Royce plant on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Prince William and Catherine visit Gardens by the Bay on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine greets a child during a visit to The Rainbow Centre, a children's learning center, on Wednesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine, Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, meets children at Gardens by the Bay on day two of her Asia visit with husband, Prince William, Wednesday in Singapore.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, meets children at Gardens by the Bay Wednesday in Singapore.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine, Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, arrives at Gardens by the Bay Wednesday in Singapore.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The royal couple is greeted at the airport on Tuesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – After their arrival Tuesday Catherine and her husband, Prince William, visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

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William and Kate visit Far East – Catherine leaves Singapore Botanic Gardens after visiting on Tuesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – William stops to speak to an honor guard on arrival at the Istana, home of Singapore's president and working office of the prime minister, during the Diamond Jubilee tour on Tuesday.

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William and Kate visit Far East – The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana for a state dinner on the first day of their Diamond Jubilee tour in Singapore. See more of CNN's best photography.

Just weeks after the scandal about pictures of Britain's Prince Harry naked in Las Vegas, a magazine has sparked fresh controversy by publishing pictures of Prince William's wife, Catherine, topless while vacationing.

The duchess of Cambridge is "upset" with the magazine -- a French publication called Closer, a royal source told CNN. Palace officials, threatening legal action, have blasted what they call a "grotesque" invasion of privacy.

The grainy pictures appear to have been taken with a long camera lens while the couple was staying at a private chateau in Provence, in southern France.

They were "hugely saddened to learn that a French publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner," a St. James's Palace spokesman said.

These new privacy controversies have dredged up the royal family's often rocky relationship with the press and put a spotlight on how the palace deals with the media after the tragic death of William's mother, Diana, as she fled photographers in Paris 15 years ago.

"The incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, and all the more upsetting to The Duke and Duchess for being so," the palace spokesman said.

St. James's Palace officials told CNN they "believe a red line has been crossed." The palace confirmed that the couple is taking legal action against the publishers of Closer.

The pair remain focused on their Asian tour on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, he added.

William, who is second in line to the throne, and his wife are in Malaysia as they carry out a nine-day Southeast Asian tour of Commonwealth nations, which started in Singapore.

The photographs cannot be accessed on Closer's website, which shows only the magazine's front cover with heavily blurred images. The photos are featured in the magazine's print copy, which is available in France.

Those photographs were widely circulated online but were published in only one UK tabloid, The Sun, after palace officials asked UK media not to run them. The Press Complaints Commission, the UK press watchdog, received about 3,800 complaints from the public but said it was inappropriate for it to take any action without a formal complaint from the palace.

The Sun has made clear that it won't publish the pictures of Catherine, however. Editor Dominic Mohan tweeted: "The Sun has no intention of breaching the royal couple's privacy. The circumstances are very different to those relating to the photos of Prince Harry in Las Vegas."

Laurence Pieau, editor-in-chief of Closer in France, posted several comments on Twitter late Thursday promoting the release of the topless pictures of Catherine.

One said: "The world exclusive of #closer tomorrow is Kate Middleton as you have never seen her ... and as you will never see her again."

Another read: "For kate middleton to have tan lines she would have to be wearing a swimsuit!"

Interviewed by CNN affiliate BFM-TV on Friday, Pieau defended the decision to publish the photographs, saying, "We were just doing our job."

The magazine was tipped off about the dates of the royal couple's visit to Provence and sent a photographer, she said. The pair were visible on a terrace from the road.

Pieau said that there had been no debate at the magazine over whether to publish the photos and that she believes they are not degrading, as "they are just like any other couple in love."

She described the reaction to the pictures' publication as "disproportionate" and slammed the British press as "complete hypocrites," since photos of Harry naked were published by The Sun.

Pieau said that there are additional photos that are even more revealing but that Closer is not publishing them for now. The magazine will wait to see if any complaint is made against it, she said.

"I think that what these photos really highlight is the issue of the royal couple's security," she added.

A string of negative comments from members of the public has already been posted on the French Closer magazine's Facebook page.

One, written in French, said: "Your behavior is unacceptable, you're as bad as the English tabloids. You have gone too far with the photos of Kate topless and it will cost you a lot I hope. Shameful."

It is not yet clear what form any legal action by William and Catherine against Closer magazine, run by an Italian business called Mondadori, might take.

But British lawyer Charlotte Harris said the magazine's decision to publish was a clear breach of French legal codes and was out of line with current views on people's right to privacy.

"The perception of the French was that they are less aggressive, that they have a culturally different opinion of where privacy laws should lie. Here they appear to have gone right over the other way," she said.

French law provides for "draconian sanctions" to protect against this kind of behavior, she said, including orders to take magazines off shelves and the imposition of serious fines.

But even if distribution of the images is contained, Harris said, the damage is done to the extent that very private information about the duchess has now become public knowledge.

French magazine VSD was fined 2,000 euros ($2,580) last week after it published a photo of Valerie Trierweiler, partner of French President Francois Hollande, in a bikini on its front cover, BFM-TV reports.

Trierweiler is also taking legal action against other French magazines that published images of her and Hollande in swimwear while on vacation, BFM-TV says.

The royal couple will be in Malaysia until Sunday before heading to the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

The duchess was very conservatively dressed as she visited a mosque in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

There was also a security scare when a man lunged at Catherine and tried to give her a flower as she and William left a festival of Malaysian dancing in a park in the capital.

A man was arrested over the incident, a palace source said.

"The Duchess was getting into the car and the Duke was walking round to the other side of the car when an enthusiastic member of the public tried to give her a flower," he told CNN.

"He was very close, right up against the car. He was arrested by local police officers. Royal protection officers were not involved, though they had noticed him in the crowd earlier on. The Duke and Duchess were not in any danger at all at any point."

The French Closer magazine is run by a different company from the publication of the same name in the United Kingdom.

Closer UK, published by Bauer Consumer Media, issued a statement distancing itself from the French magazine.

"Closer magazine UK would like to make it clear that the two publications make entirely independent editorial decisions. In this respect the comments made by the editor of the French edition which have reported in the media today do not reflect the opinions of Closer magazine UK.

"Closer magazine UK was not offered any pictures of this nature and certainly has no intention of publishing the photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge which have been published in France this morning."

The British media is under close scrutiny after revelations of phone hacking and other abuses. The conclusions of an independent judge-led inquiry, which may recommend greater restrictions on media freedoms, are expected by the end of the year.